protect aquatic and riparian areas and species

259 Pages·2017·8.61 MB·English

© Australian Capital Territory, Canberra 2018

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CONTENTS
PART A CONSERVATION STRATEGY
1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................. 3
1.2 OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................ 3
1.3 ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT APPROACH .................................................................................. 3
1.4 DEFINITION OF AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN ZONES ...................................................................... 4
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STRATEGY .......................................................................................................... 4
1.6 STRUCTURE OF THE STRATEGY.................................................................................................. 8
1.7 LINKS BETWEEN THIS STRATEGY AND ACTION PLANS .............................................................. 8
1.8 RELEVANT POLICY AND LEGISLATION ....................................................................................... 9
1.9 ACTION PLANS .........................................................................................................................12
2 STRATEGY: PROTECT AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN AREAS AND SPECIES ........................................... 14
2.1 OVERVIEW ...............................................................................................................................15
2.2 PROTECTION GOAL ..................................................................................................................15
2.3 KEY PRINCIPLES........................................................................................................................15
2.4 PROTECTION STATUS OF AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN ZONES .....................................................15
2.5 THE NEED FOR FURTHER PROTECTION ...................................................................................17
2.6 LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL COOPERATION .................................................................17
2.7 HOW PLANNING CAN PROTECT AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN AREAS...........................................18
3 STRATEGY: REDUCE THREATS TO NATIVE BIODIVERSITY ............................................................ 20
3.1 OVERVIEW ...............................................................................................................................21
3.2 THREAT MANAGEMENT GOAL ................................................................................................21
3.3 KEY PRINCIPLES........................................................................................................................21
3.4 RIVER REGULATION AND WATER EXTRACTION.......................................................................22
3.5 WATER PUMPING ....................................................................................................................24
3.6 WATER QUALITY ......................................................................................................................24
3.7 IN-STREAM SEDIMENTATION ..................................................................................................27
3.8 RIPARIAN ZONE MODIFICATION ..............................................................................................29
3.9 GENETIC IMPOVERISHMENT ...................................................................................................30
3.10 WEEDS .....................................................................................................................................30
3.11 ALIEN AND PEST ANIMALS ......................................................................................................31
3.12 PARASITES AND DISEASES .......................................................................................................34
3.13 CONNECTED AQUATIC POPULATIONS .....................................................................................35
3.14 INAPPROPRIATE FISH HARVEST ...............................................................................................36
3.15 INAPPROPRIATE FIRE REGIMES ...............................................................................................37
3.16 CLIMATE CHANGE ....................................................................................................................38
3.17 LAND USE .................................................................................................................................40
4 STRATEGY: MANAGE FOR CONSERVATION OF COMMUNITIES AND SPECIES .............................. 42
4.1 OVERVIEW ...............................................................................................................................43
4.2 MANAGEMENT GOAL ..............................................................................................................43
4.3 KEY PRINCIPLES........................................................................................................................43
4.4 MANAGEMENT APPROACH .....................................................................................................44
4.5 MANAGEMENT TOOLS ............................................................................................................46
5 STRATEGY: MONITORING AND RESEARCH ................................................................................ 55
5.1 OVERVIEW ...............................................................................................................................56
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5.2 MONITOR CONDITION .............................................................................................................56
5.3 COLLECT BASELINE INFORMATION .........................................................................................60
5.4 RESEARCH ................................................................................................................................60
6 STRATEGY: ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY ..................................................................................... 64
6.1 OVERVIEW ...............................................................................................................................65
6.2 SUPPORTING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ............................................................................65
6.3 ABORIGINAL ENGAGEMENT ....................................................................................................68
6.4 EDUCATION .............................................................................................................................69
6.5 RECREATIONAL USE .................................................................................................................72
7 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................... 74
7.1 WHAT ARE AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN ZONES? .........................................................................75
7.2 HISTORY ...................................................................................................................................81
7.3 CURRENT CONDITION OF AQUATIC & RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS ..............................................81
7.4 FUTURE CONDITION: POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE .......................................107
7.5 AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES SINCE 2007 .......................................107
7.6 EVIDENCE BASE FOR AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN STRATEGY ....................................................113
8 APPENDICES ...........................................................................................................................115
8.1 RIPARIAN DEFINITION ...........................................................................................................115
8.2 RIPARIAN VEGETATION COMMUNITIES PRESENT IN THE ACT ..............................................116
8.3 NATIVE RIPARIAN FAUNA PRESENT IN THE ACT ....................................................................119
8.4 DETAIL OF UNCOMMON AND RARE FLORA ..........................................................................121
9 REFERENCES ...........................................................................................................................124

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FIGURES
Figure 1.1. Angler fly fishing on the Cotter River. Photo: M. Jekabsons, ACT Government. .......................... 2
Figure 1.2. Upper Murrumbidgee River Catchment showing major waterways and urban areas ................. 6
Figure 1.3. ACT rivers considered in this Aquatic and Riparian Conservation Strategy ................................. 7
Figure 2.1. Murray River Crayfish from the Murrumbidgee River. Photo: M. Jekabsons, ACT Government.
......................................................................................................................................................................14
Figure 2.2. Fishway at Vanitys Crossing, Cotter River. .................................................................................19
Figure 3.1. Point Hut Crossing. Photo: L. Evans, ACT Government. .............................................................20
Figure 3.2. Cotter River above Vanitys Crossing. ..........................................................................................25
Figure 3.3. Monitoring of alien fish species. .................................................................................................31
Figure 3.4. Cotter River above Corin Reservoir. Photo: M. Jekabsons, ACT Government. ..........................38
Figure 4.1. Murrumbidgee River below Tharwa Bridge showing constructed Engineered Log Jams. Photo:
M. Jekabsons ACT Government. ...................................................................................................................42
Figure 4.2. Lees Creek weir is a potential barrier to passage for some aquatic species, reducing
connectivity. The barrier can also form a barrier to pest species invading the upstream river section. .....47
Figure 4.3. Cotter River riparian zone after prescribed burn. ......................................................................50
Figure 4.4. Burkes Creek in the Cotter River catchment. .............................................................................54
Figure 5.1. Backpack electrofishing at Sunshine Crossing of Gudgenby River. Photo: L. Evans, ACT
Government. .................................................................................................................................................55
Figure 5.2. ACT Conservation Research officer conducting fish monitoring. ...............................................59
Figure 6.1. ACT Government Aquatic Ecologist explaining boat electro fishing to members of the
community. ...................................................................................................................................................64
Figure 6.2. Outreach poster at the launch of the Upper Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach Plan. ........70
Figure 6.3. Native fish for stocking in ACT waterbodies. ..............................................................................73
Figure 7.1. Cotter River in flood flowing over the old Cotter Dam prior to construction of the new
enlarged Cotter Dam. Photo: M. Jekabsons, ACT Government. ...................................................................74
Figure 7.2. Cotter River upstream of Vanitys Crossing. ................................................................................76
Figure 7.3. Erosion along the banks of the Murrumbidgee River.................................................................82
Figure 7.4. ACT reaches and sampling sites used for assessing ecosystem condition (see Table 7.4) .........83
Figure 7.5. Deployment of artificial fish habitat. ........................................................................................108
Figure 7.6. Installation of educational material relating to ACT fishing regulations. .................................114

TABLES
Table 1.1. Relevant ACT listed threatened species and action plans ...........................................................13
Table 2.1 Protection status of waterways covered under this strategy .......................................................16
Table 5.1. Monitoring indicators for ACT aquatic and riparian areas from the CEMP. These indicators are
currently being refined. Condition will be given a rating against both a reference and target
condition and combined to form an overall assessment of indicator condition. For more
information of interpretation of these assessments see CEMP Overview documentation (ACT
Government 2017)........................................................................................................................57
Table 5.2. Stressor (threat) indicator metrics used within the Aquatic and Riparian CEMP plan. The state
of the stressor will be assessed against both reference and target state and combined to form
an overall assessment of the stressor state. For more information regarding the interpretation
of these assessments see CEMP Overview documentation (ACT Government 2017). ................58
Table 7.1. Major ACT rivers and their significant characteristics .................................................................77
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Table 7.2. Vegetation communities occurring in ACT riparian zones ...........................................................79
Table 7.3. Native aquatic and riparian fauna found in the ACT ...................................................................80
Table 7.4. Aquatic and riparian condition including management guidance by river section (including
minor tributaries). The effects of water extraction and alien species (e.g. deer, pigs, Carp) are
ubiquitous throughout all reaches. Biodiversity (macroinvertebrates) and water quality
assessments are sourced from the ACT Water Report 2014–15 (#) & 2012-14 (##), Icon Water’s
Below Dams Report Spring 2015 (°) and Waterwatch CHIP Report 2015–16 (*). Methodology
and timing varies among sources and assessments typically represent point sampling (see
Figure 7.1). ‘trans.’ indicates a fish population that has been translocated into a reach. ...........84
Table 7.5. Conservation Status of ACT and Commonwealth threatened flora and fauna species found in
ACT aquatic and riparian ecosystems .........................................................................................105
Table 7.6 Uncommon and rare aquatic and riparian plant species in the ACT ..........................................106
Table 7.7 Summary of aquatic and riparian rehabilitation activities since 2007 .......................................109
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CONTENTS
PART B SPECIES ACTION PLANS
TWO-SPINED BLACKFISH..................................................................................................................135
MACQUARIE PERCH ........................................................................................................................153
MURRAY RIVER CRAYFISH ...............................................................................................................181
SILVER PERCH .................................................................................................................................197
TROUT COD ....................................................................................................................................211
MURRUMBIDGEE BOSSIAEA ............................................................................................................234
TUGGERANONG LIGNUM ................................................................................................................242

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VISION
“Healthy waterways supporting diverse aquatic and riparian flora
and fauna, and providing high quality ecosystem services”
extensive research, survey and monitoring
Rivers and their associated riparian edges
conducted.
are critical to human health and
wellbeing, the sustainability of our city This revised strategy builds on these
and nature conservation. Rivers, lakes, considerable achievements by providing a
wetlands and aquifers are critical habitat regional approach to conservation and
for many native plants and animals, management of aquatic and riparian
provide water for human consumption environments. It addresses current and
and are sought out as aesthetically future issues, such as a changing climate,
beautiful places. Rivers provide important and focuses on best-practice conservation
conduits and connectivity in the landscape in an adaptive management framework.
for people, plants and animals.
The waterways and riparian areas of the
Conservation, protection and ACT are valuable and fundamentally
rehabilitation of our waterways and important components of our landscape.
riparian areas is essential for the It is vital to conserve these areas for now
protection of threatened species, and the future.
maintaining ecosystems and their
The ACT Government acknowledges the
services, and providing recreational
Ngunnawal people as Traditional
opportunities. It is vital to conserve these
Custodians of the ACT. The Ngunnawal
areas for now and the future.
people continue to have a strong
This Aquatic and Riparian Conservation connection to culture and Country as their
Strategy focuses on non-urban rivers and ancestors did, with evidence indicating
riparian areas (see section1.5) and aims to Aboriginals camped at the Birragai Rock
build on the successful management of Shelter at least 25,000 years ago. The ACT
ACT waterways achieved since the original region is very significant to other
2007 ACT Aquatic Species and Riparian Aboriginal Nations with strong cultural
Zone Conservation Strategy (ACT connections to the area, including the
Government 2007). Since the original Wolgalu, Ngarigu, Gundungurra, Ngambri
strategy, legislative protection of and Yuin. Ngunnawal Country is the
threatened species and habitats has been northern end of the Australian Alps,
revised, management and rehabilitation where many ceremonies were conducted,
plans developed, on-ground conservation and is part of the Murray–Darling Basin, a
management actions organised, and traditional pathway to neighbouring
Aboriginal Nations.
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1
1 INTRODUCTION

Figure 1.1. Angler fly fishing on the Cotter River. Photo: M. Jekabsons, ACT Government.

2